1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a control apparatus for avoiding equipment abnormalities.
2. Related Background Art
A combined image processing apparatus having facsimile and printer capabilities as well as a copying function has been recently considered.
When using such an apparatus for printing out a document or drawing created by a computer, a printer driver on the computer converts it to data in a page description language (PDL), and on receipt of the converted data a printer formatter unit formats a layout or drawing procedure to form and print out a desired image.
In this case, the apparatus has a function for sending information of the printer formatter unit, such as online/offline switching, various error statuses indicative of no sheet or the like and a busy state indicative of another job being processed.
The use of the apparatus as the facsimile unit permits an operator to receive notice of image transmission information indicating that a communication partner is ready, or that the image is being transmitted or received together with an abbreviated name of the communication partner. It can also store a history of communication results, the communication time and date, abbreviated names of communication partners and their telephone numbers, and it can inform the operator of the historical information.
When using a filing function, the apparatus permits the operator to receive such processing status as indicates that data is being recorded, a file is being retrieved or the disk is write-protected.
Combinations of these functions permit the apparatus to perform the following compound control operations.
(1) Print data is developed in the printer formatter unit and transferred to the facsimile unit so that the data transferred can be compressed in the facsimile unit for facsimile transmission via public lines.
(2) When filing a document created by the computer or the like, the document data is developed in the printer formatter unit in the same manner as when printing it on a sheet, and transferred to a filing unit, so that the filing unit stores the transferred image data in a magneto-optical disk.
(3) When filing an image received by the facsimile, the image received and expanded is transferred to the filing unit in the same manner as when printing it on a sheet, so that the filing unit stores the transferred image in a magneto-optical disk.
During the compound control operations, various processing statuses equivalent to those in respective single-control operations can be informed.
However, when trouble occurs and the corresponding processing can not be continued, the operator is informed of insufficient information such as only the type of error. It is therefore necessary for the operator to ignore the error and instruct continuation of the processing or to terminate the current job once and initiate the job again. To know the progress status of the job, the operator has to judge and select units related to the processing from among the printer formatter unit, the facsimile unit and the filing unit, and to monitor respective information of the units regarded as related to the processing. For this reason, adequate sense and complex confirmation work are required for obtaining information indicative of whereabouts in all the processing one particular job is located.
An object of the present invention is to provide control apparatus and method for abnormality avoidance, which can overcome the above drawbacks.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a control apparatus and method for abnormality avoidance, which can store a history of abnormality avoiding operations for each user so that when an error occurs, a sequence of operations selected in the past will be provided.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a control apparatus and method for changing a guidance of abnormality avoiding operations according to the frequency of abnormality avoiding operations selected by the user in the past.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a control apparatus and method for abnormality avoidance, which can provide a proper guidance of abnormality avoiding operations even when no user is recognized.
The other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.